Shortenable umbrella



OCIS- 10, 1961 H R, HlBBARD 3,003,509

SHORTENABLE UMBRELLA Filed Feb. 24, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /FRBEP T RA YMOND HlllRD 3,003,509 SHORTENABLE UMBRELLA Herbert Raymond Hibbard, London, England, assigner to Bremsheyfr Co., Solingen-Obligs, Germany Filed Feb. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 795,133 Claims priority, application Germany Mar. 7, 1958 8 Claims. (Cl. 1354-25) This invention relates to shortenable umbrellas with telescopicstick and roof ribs. In umbrellas of this type, main struts serve for opening and closing the roof frame and for supporting the open roof. These main struts are each hinged on one side on a perspective outer roof rib While on the other 'side'they are all hinged on a main runner movable along the stick. The main strutsV are in `turnl Controlled and ,supported by auxiliary struts.. The auxiliary struts` are hinged on one main strut each, and ally of them are hinged on an auxiliary runner which is slidable between the umbrella crown and the main runner on the stick.` v

It is` known that umbrellas of this type have the disadyantage that, when the umbrella is being opened, the roof ribs telescope instead of swinging away from the stick, which makes the umbrella inconvenient to handle. Various, measuresV have been suggested in order to remedy this disadvantage. In particular, it has been attempted t9 prevent the undesirable telescoping by spreading, detaining, or braking devices. In most of these devices, the spreading, detaining, or ybraking occurs also when the umbrella is` to be telescoped. In that case, however, a spreading,V detaining lor braking eiect is undesirable and disturbing. l

My invention is based upon a known suggestion, which consists,` in temporarily preventing the movement of the auxiliary, runner, relativev to the stick, by a detaining device, during the opening of the umbrella. In the known execution ofthis suggestion, the detaining action is effectedY by friction. To make the friction strong enough Ifor the desired eect involves considerable structural iiiiicultie .s.y Furthermore, when the friction is suiciently strong, Yit hinders the return of the auxiliary runner to its United States Patent O 7 starting `position when -the umbrella isk being closed.V

Herein lie some of the reasons why the` known basically correct suggestion has not been successful. My invention is based, in addition, on` the realization thatl a sufficiently strong detention of the motion of the auxiliary runner is possible, if care` is taken to olset the detaining action in thel course of opening the umbrella. Thus arises. the more particular problem of finding a means for oisetting the detaining, action. problem is solved, according to my invention, by mPlQYing the motion of` themainfrunner for releasing theadetaining device. Thus,` it becomes possible, among oth'r thllgs,y io make the detainilig device eective` by 129S lit engagement, Le., by lockingthe auxiliary run- 'neri tempcrarily 0n` 'the' Stick when. fthe,- roof` ribsjteley Patented Oct. 1G, 1961 2 apart in known manner. The advantage of this measure lies not only in its structural simplicity, but furthermore inV the resultant effect that the motion of the auxiliary runner along the stick does not undergo any undesirable detaining action during the tclescoping and spreading of the frame, because, during these operations, the pawl retreats into the interior of the stick. i

In the drawing, two embodiments of the invention are illustrated:

FIGURE 1 shows an umbrella according to the lrst embodiment in closed position; Y

FIG. 2 shows, partly in section, the umbrella while being opened;

FIG. 3 shows, in part, the opened umbrella; d

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail View of the part of the umbrella indicated by the arrow IV in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section of a part of an umbrella according to another embodiment.

The stick of the umbrella according to FIGS. l to 4 consists of two parts, 10 and 11, adapted to slide into each other telescopically, of which part 10 bears the handle 12 and part 11 the umbrella crown 13. The roofl ribs hinged on the crown 13 consist of two parts 14 and 1S, adapted to be telescoped, which are guided towards each other by a sleeve 16 sliding on the hollow part 14 and attached to the inner end of the solid-part Y 15. Main struts 17 serve `the purpose of supporting the roof frame. These struts are hinged on one side of the inner ends of the outer roof-rib parts 1S, and on the other side, at 19, on a main runner 20. The main runner 20 can be locked on the stick in the positions which it takes according to FIGS. l and 3 when the umbrella is closed and when it is completely open. This is eiected in known manner by a resilient pawl 21, of which only the end provided for actuation by iinger pressure is visible in the drawing., In the positions according to FIGS. 1 and 3, the'pawl engages with two apertures in the stick wall of which only the upper one, designatedv by 46, is visible in FIG. 2. The control and support ofmain struts 17 isY eifected by auxiliary struts 22, which are hingedly secured Yon one side at 23 on the main struts, and'on the other side at 24 on an auxiliary runner 25, movable on the stick between the main runner 20 and the um'- brella crown 13. x Y

A pawl 26, shown in detail' in FIG. 4, serves the pui' pose of locking the stick parts 10 and 11 in spread position; itis secured to a U-shaped hat spring 2-7, arranged in the interior of the stick part 10. In locked position it engages a slot 28 in the stick part 11. A bar 29, longitudinally slidable in the stick part 10, serves for unlocking the pawl 26. This bar 29 may be displaced by hand through a pressure knob 30, protruding from S6392@ instead ofswinging out, when. the umbrella is i being Opened; `Detaining by positive locking is the pref; liable but not the onlypossible embodiment` of` the inventiye idea.,k Basically, the ln'iotion ofthe auxiliary runum'l canv 'alsor be temporarily,iprevented by a suiiciently strong. fricticnal detainins device- In, thefpreferred embodiment of my invention, the-deftaining device consisten-f a slot in the wall of an auxiliary runner below the auxiliary-runner crown andA of apawl, arranged on the stick engaging this slot, which `isreleased by the main runner when it is pushed' over the auxiliary runner in the course of opening the umbrella. In particular, an upper projection at the mainV runner having a-funnel-shapedf aperture may yserve vfor the release; The pawl may simultaneously-constitute the means for mutually-locking the stickparts which have been pushed the vhandle 12, against the force of a spring (not shown). To the extent so far described the frame is of conventional construction; the 4'umbrella cover` (not shown) issecured at the crown 13, at the sleeves 16 and at the free ends 31- of the roof ribs. e

' The auxiliary runner 25 is securedv to a sleeve 32, extending downwardly from the links 24, and is provided` with a slot 33 into which the pawl 26 protrudes when the umbrella is closed; as shown in FIG; 1. AnotherV longitudinal slot 34 in the sleeve 32- is offset by 909 from the slot 33,-as may be seen in FIG. 4. While the slot 33 `is closed atu the top and atthe bottom, the slot 34 reaches to the loweredge 35 of the sleeve 32; A sleeve-like extension 36 having a funnel-shaped opening 37` in arranged on the main runner 20, above the links 19;*V The inside diameter of the main runner 20 and the extensionk 36 is atleast equal tothe outside diameter of the sleeve 32, so that -the mainl runner- 20 canV be pushed oveethesleeve sz, as shown in FIGS. 2 te 4.

The umbrella is operated as follows:

If, starting from the position shown in FIG.V l, i.e. with parts and 11 of the stick as well as parts 14 and of the vrib extended, the roof is to be opened, the lock pawl 21 is depressed and the main runner 20 is moved by hand upwardly along the stick. When the roof opens, and the roof ribs 14, 15, therefore swing outwardly, the auxiliary runner 25 moves upward at a speed which is lower than the speed of the main runner 20. The distance between the two runners therefore diminishes. In the course of this movement, the lower edge 38 of the slot 33 meets the pawl 26. The auxiliary-runner motion would be arrested thereby if the lengths of the slot 33 and of the extension 36 were not dimensioned in such a manner that at this moment the pawl 26, according to FIGS. 2 and 4, is pressed inwardly through the funnel-shaped aperture 37 of the main runner 20, thus releasing the auxiliary runner. Upon further motion, the position according to FIG. 3 is nally reached. The lock pawl 21 in the main runner then engages the aperture 46 in the st-ick part 11 through the `slot 34, thereby xing the main runner 20.

I-f, while the umbrella is being opened, the roof ribs 14, 15, should telescope instead of swinging away from the stick, the auxiliary runner first moves at the same speed as the main runner 20. The edge 38 of the slot then bears upon the pawl 26 before the distance between the two runners has diminished. The auxiliary runner is now locked against further upward motion. The further upward motion of the main runner consequently forces the roof frame open. The auxiliary runner is held locked and thus cannot travel further towards the crown 13 until the position shown in FIG. 2 is reached, in which position pawl 26 is released by the main runner, thus clearing the -auxiliary runner and allowing it to continue along its path towards the crown.

The closing of the umbrella occurs in a reversed order of the operations described, but always without detainment of the auxiliary runner, because the pawl Z6 is formed with a sloping edge 39 and is therefore pressed inwardly by the lower edge 35 of the sleeve 32 when the auxiliary runner returns to its starting position.

In order to shorten the umbrella, the knob is actuated, the pawl 26 is pulled back thereby, and the frame is telescoped in the usual manner. Since the pawl 26 is inside the stick part 11 when the frame is telescoped and extended, it cannot hinder the motion of the auxiliary runner 25 along the stick.

The extension 36 constitutes a practical but not essential element of the invention, because the frame parts can be dimensioned in such a manner that the release of the pawl 26 is effected by a main runner lacking such extension. It is also not essential to provide a release through a knob for the pawl 26. Instead, a lockV pawl with frictional locking may be provided, which recedes when sufcient pressure is exerted on the stick ends. Finally, it is not necessary to lock the main runner on the stick when the umbrella is open, provided care is taken to have the main struts displaced beyond their dead-,center position when the umbrella is opened.

FIG. 5 yshows that the invention can basically be realized even if the structure according to FIGS. 1 to 4 were kinematically reversed. For the sake of simplicity, the illustration in FIG. 5 is limited to the extension 136 having a funnel-shaped aperture 137 on the main runner, the outer stick part 111, and a sleeve-like extension 132 on the auxiliary runner. In a recess 40 in the sleeve 132, a spring-loaded pawl 41 is swingable about a lug 42 and engages a longitudinal slot 44, of the stick-part 111, with its dog 43. In the illustrated position, the dog 43 is located at the upper end of the slot 44, thus hindering further upward motion of the auxiliary runner until projection 136 strikes the outer arm 4S of the pawl 41 and lifts the dog 43. Kinematically, the slot 44 corresponds to 4 the slot 33, and the dog 43 to the pawl 26, of the previously described embodiment.

The ditliculty of arranging a pawl in a comparatively thin-walled sleeve, as required by the kinematic reversal according to FIG. 5, will, among other reasons, generally lead to the employment of the structure according to FIGS. l to 4.

In both embodiments of the invention the auxiliary runner is locked against upward movement when the roof does not immediately open, and the locking means is inactivated by the main runner when it approaches the auxiliary runner, because this approach is necessarily connected with an opening of the roof. Therefore, the lock can never be released before the opening of the roof.

The detaining device is ineffective during the telescoping and extending of the frame. In the illustrated example, this is attained by having the detaining pawl retracted into the stick.

Should it be desired to dispense with a common latch serving for locking the stick parts Iand for detaining the auxiliary runner and to provide instead a special detaining or locking member therefor, that member may preferably be arranged on a stick part which does not move relatively to the auxiliary runner when the frame is telescoped and extended. Thus, any detaining of the movement during shortening and lengthening of the umbrella is eliminated.

I claim:

l. In an umbrella, in combination, an elongated stick member having a handle portion at one end thereof and a crown portion at the other end thereof; a pluralityof ribs each pivoted at one extremity to said crown portion and provided with a connector slidable thereon between its extremities; a runner manually slidable on said stick member between said ends; a plurality of main struts each pivotally connected to said runner and to the connector on a respective one ofsaid ribs; a slider member longitudinally displaceable on said stick member intermediate said runner and said crown portion; aplurality of auxiliary struts each pivotally connected to said slider member and to a respective one of said main struts intermediate the'extremities of the latter; disengageable abutment means on one of said members for detaining the other of said members at a location intermediate said ends, thereby halting the advance of said slider member toward said crown portion; and clearing means on said runner for disengaging said abutment means from said other of said members, said runner beingengageable with said abutment means for rendering said clearing means effective upon approaching said slider member.

2. In an umbrella, in combination, an elongated stick member having a handle portion at one end thereof and a crown portion at the other end thereof; a plurality of ribs each pivoted a-t one extremity to said crown portion and provided with a telescoping extension at the Aother extremity; a runner manuallyV slidable on said stickmember'between said ends; a plurality vof Vmain strutsjeach pivotally connected to.said runner and to a respective one of saidextensions; a slider member longitudinally 'displaceable on said stick member intermediate said runner 'and said crown p ortion; a plurality of auxiliary struts each pivotally connected to said slider member and to a respective one of said main struts intermediate the extremities of the latter; a pawl pivotally secured to one of said members, the other of said members being provided with a slotengageable by said pawl, at a location intermediate `said ends, thereby halting the advance of -said slider member toward said crown portion; and cam means on said runner for disengaging said pawl from said slot, said runner being engageable with said pawl for rendering said cam means etective upon approaching said slider member.

3. In an umbrella, in combination, an elongated stick member having a handle portion at one end thereof and a crown portion atfthe other end thereof; a plurality of ribs each pivoted at one extremity to said crown portion and provided with a telescoping extension at the other extremity; a generally cylindrical runner manually slidable on said s tick member between said ends; a plurality of main struts each pivotally connected to said runner and to a respective one of said extensions; agenerally cylindrical slider member longitudinally displaceable on said stick member intermediate said runner and Vsaid crown portion; a plurality of auxiliary struts each pivotally connected to said slider member and to a respective one of said main struts intermediate the extremities of the latter; a pawl pivotally secured to one of -said members, the other of said members being provided with a slot engageable by said pawl at a location intermediate said ends, thereby halting the advance of said slider member toward said crown portion, said runner having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of said slider member and being adapted to clear the latter, said runner being provided with "a cam surface for disengaging said pawl from said slot, said cam surface being engageable with said pawl for withdrawing the latter upon the approach of said runner to said slider member.

4. In an umbrella, in combination, an elongated stick member including two telescoping sections, one of said sections having a handle portion and the other of said sections having a crown portion; a plurality of ribs each pivoted at one extremity to said crown portion and provided with a telescoping extension at the other extremity; a runner manually slidable on said stick member between said portions; a plurality of main struts each pivotally connected to said runner and to a respective one of said extensions; a slider member longitudinally displaceable on said stick member intermediate said runner land said crown portion; a plurality of auxiliary struts each pivotally connected to said slider member and to a respective one of said main struts intermediate the extremities of the latter; locking means for releasably maintaining said sections in an extended condition; disengageable abutment means on one of said members for detaining the other of said members ata location intermediate said ends, thereby halting the advance of said slider member toward said crown portion; and clearing means on said runner for disengaging said abutment means, said runner being engageable with said abutment means for rendering said clearing means eiective upon approaching said slider member.

5. In an umbrella, in combination, an elongated stick member including two telescoping sections, one of said sections having a handle portion and the other of said sections having a crown portion; a plurality of ribs each pivoted at one extremity to said crown portion and provided With a telescoping extension at the other extremity; a runner manually slidable on said stick member between said portions, a plurality of main struts each pivotally connected to said runner and to a respective one of said extensions; a slider member longitudinally displaceable on said stick member intermediate said runner and said crown portion; a plurality of auxiliary struts each pivotally connected to said slider member and to a respective one of said main struts intermediate the extremities of the latter; locking means for releasably maintaining said sections in an extended position, said stick member being provided with a laterally open recess; a pawl resiliently secured in side said recess and having a projection extending outwardly therefrom, said slider member being provided with a longitudinal slot Vclosed at its lower end and engaged by said projection in said extended condition of said stick member, said projection being formed with a surface adapted to abut the lower end of said slot, thereby halting the advance of said slider member toward said crown portion; and clearing means on said runner for disengaging said pawl from said slot, said runner being engageable with said pawl for rendering said clearing means eifective upon approaching said slider member.

6. In an umbrella, in combination, an elongated stick member including two telescoping sections, one of said 6 `sectims having a handle 'portion andthe other of said sections having a crown portion; a plurality of ribs each pivoted'at'one extremity to said crown portion and provided with atelescopingV extension at the other extremity;

a runner manually slidable on said stick member between said portions; a plurality of main struts each pivotally connected to said runner and to a respective one Aof said extensions; a slider member longitudinally displaceable on said stickmember intermediate said runner and said crown portion; a pluralityA otauxiliary struts each pivotally connected to said slider member and to a respective one of saidV main'struts intermediate the extremities of the latter; locking means for releasably maintaining said sections in -an extended position, said stick member being provided with a laterally open recess, said runner and said slider member being generally cylindrical, said runner having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of said slide member; and a pawl resiliently secured inside said recess and having a projection extending outwardly therefrom, said slider member being provided with a longitudinal slot closed at its lower end and engaged by said projection in said extended condition of said stick member, said projection being formed with a surface adapted to abut the lower end of said slot, thereby halting the advance of said slide member toward said crown portion; said runner being formed with a funnelshaped cam surface for disengaging said pawl from said slot, said cam surface being engageable with said pawl upon the approach of said runner to said slider member.

7. In an umbrella, in combination, an elongated stick member including two telescoping sections, one of said sections having a handle portion and the other of said sections having a crown portion; a plurality of ribs each pivoted at one extremity to said crown portion and provided with telescoping extension at the other extremity; a runner manually slidable on said stick member between said portions; a plurality of main struts each pivotally connected to said runner and to a respective one of said extensions; a slider member longitudinally displaceable on said stick member intermediate said runner and said crown portion; a plurality of auxiliary struts each pivotally connected to said slider member and to a respective one of said main struts intermediate the extremities of the latter; locking means for releasably maintaining said sections in an extended position, the inner one of said sections being provided with a laterally open recess, said locking means including a pawl resiliently secured inside said recess and having a projection extending outwardly therefrom into engagement with the other of said sections, said slider member being provided with a longitudinal slot closed at its lower end and engaged by said projection in said extended condition to said stick member, said projection being formed with a surface adapted to abut the lower end of said slot, thereby halting the advance of said slider member toward said crown portion; and clearing means on said runner for disengaging said pawl from said slot, said runner being engageable with said pawl for rendering said clearing means effective upon approaching said slider member.

8. In an umbrella, in combination, an elongated stick member including two telescoping sections, one of said sections having a handle portion and the other of said sections having a crown portion; a plurality of ribs each pivoted at one extremity to said crown portion and provided with a telescoping extension at the other extremity; a runner manually slidable on said stick member between said portions; a plurality of main struts each pivotally connected to said runner and to a respective one of said extensions; a slider member longitudinally displaceable on said stick member intermediate said runner and said crown portion; a plurality of auxiliary struts each pivotally connected to said slider member and to -a respective one of said main struts intermediate the extremities of the latter; locking means for releasably maintaining said sections in an extended condition, the inner one of said 7 sections being provided with a laterally open recess, said locking means including a pawl resiliently secured inside said recess and having a projection extending outwardly therefrom `into engagement with the outer one of said sections, the latter havingan aperture normally traversed by said pawl, said slider member being provided with a longitudinal slot closed at its lower end and engaged by said projection in said extended condition of said stick member, said projection being formed with a. surface adapted to abut the lower end of said s1ot,^thereby halting the advance of said slider member toward said crown p0rtion; clearing means on said runner forv disengaging said rpawl from said slot, said runner being engageable with said pawl for rendering said clearing means effective upon .approaching said slider member, and manually operable References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,156,984 Haupt May 2, 1939 

